There are few things Hollywood loves more than a good survival scene. Humanity's clash against nature has led to some of the most memorable movie moments—and biggest box-office grosses—of all time. (Think Predator or Cast Away.) But that doesn’t mean that Hollywood always offers good survival advice; in fact, it’s generally the opposite. Trying to follow the example of Sylvester Stallone or Alec Baldwin could get you killed.

Would fire scare a snake away? Could two untrained men kill a 1,800-pound bear? Could a Port-A-Potty be turned into a sail? To fact-check these questions, and seven more of Hollywood’s most dubious claims, I reached out to Tony Nester, a survival expert who has instructed actors like Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild) and Josh Brolin (Jonah Hex) on a wide range of bushcraft techniques, to get the lowdown on what would work and what wouldn't.

Next time I will hesitate before cauterizing an open wound.

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That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence.

Waving a torch at a large nest of snakes seems like a horrible idea. I think that would just agitate most snakes, or really get their attention when they weren't really looking at you as a threat.

Sucking out snake venom always seemed crazy to me, especially when they tried to teach us this was an acceptable last resort as young cub scouts. Uh, no thanks. I'm not sucking deadly venom into my mouth.

Venom is different from other poisons. Other poisons affect the body by entering the digestive system, while venom affects the body by getting into the blood stream and tissue. Drinking snake venom is not lethal as long as the venom does not enter the blood stream. The digestive fluids will break it down just like other food you eat.

Venom is different from other poisons. Other poisons affect the body by entering the digestive system, while venom affects the body by getting into the blood stream and tissue. Drinking snake venom is not lethal as long as the venom does not enter the blood stream. The digestive fluids will break it down just like other food you eat.